8260
The new oil cooler for the Porsche 914-6 is based on the incredibly popular and successful CSF 911/930 Turbo Engine Oil Cooler (CSF #8242). Both of these oil coolers went through 2+ years of development and multiple rounds of prototypes. The CSF Porsche 914-6 Engine Oil Cooler’s world debut at Rennsport Reunion 2023 was met with incredible support and enthusiasm from the community. Obviously air-cooled enthusiasts know the struggles associated with the oil cooler located on the engine block of the old flat six motor. With the 914-6 swaps/conversions becoming ever more popular, this new Oil Cooler will be a game changer for classic Porsche owners and restoration shops.
While the original design was effective at the time, they have not aged well. In addition, there have been no updates to the design and original replacement units can be hard to come by. When the CSF 911 was being built, CSF realized this was a much needed part for the air-cooled community and set out to design something special.
Design and Engineering
The original Behr Cooler was designed back in the 1960s and definitely shows its age at this point. Original coolers can be ultrasonically cleaned and refurbished but there is good chance they will start leaking after cleaning. The cleaning process may cause the coolers to fail due to its old and brittle materials, or it can remove corrosion and debris that has kept the original from showing the leak beforehand. However, the core is not the only source of leaks. The OEM cast base plate that mounts to the block can become slightly warped or aging porosity can cause the seals to not seat correctly and leak.
The old original coolers aren’t the only issue though. CSF has gotten many first hand reports of brand new OE coolers from Porsche’s revamped “Porsche Classic” Catalog leaking within a few months of installation. Apparently the new items available from Porsche are not built as well as the original Behr coolers. CSF has now brought to market a modern OEM+ solution to this vintage design.
For development of the 914-6 Engine Oil Cooler, CSF teamed up with the leading Porsche engine building experts at SV Auto. Their deep knowledge of classic Porsche engines and expertise in restoration gave CSF invaluable insight into how to best approach the design and construction. Long time R&D Partner and CSF Dealer Brian Day at Euro Parts West was also a critical partner in the development of the oil cooler design.
Attention To Detail
CSF’s goal for the 914-6 Oil Cooler was to recreate the original cooler with a modern interpretation of the design while improving functionality and reliability. To accomplish this, CSF spent countless hours in research and development. Brain Day was instrumental in really helping CSF engineers understand the 914-6’s oil cooling system. These details and deep understanding allowed for proper engineering and creating a cooler that could fit such a wide variety of
Improving upon a design starts with understanding the system as a whole. Every detail of the cooler was analyzed from core strength to oil flow restrictions.
3D scanning of the flat-6 engine blocks and OE Coolers gave CSF the ability to ensure optimal fitment as well as see what room there was for improvements.
New to the Core
The CSF units utilize a modern and robust tube and fin core specifically designed for this cooler. This new core has higher flow, less pressure drop, and is more durable than the original design. In addition to the upgraded core, CSF added support/strength bars between the tubes. These bars increase the burst pressure which has been tested to 290 psi (20bar) without leaking.
The high-performance core uses 7 cooling tubes with 8 rows of fins. Between the ultra efficient fin design and high flow tubes, the CSF cooler is ~10% more efficient than a brand new OE unit and up to 25% more efficient than a used unit.
Billet Base Plate
Because the base plate of the cooler is also a common problem area, CSF sought to improve this area as much as possible. Instead of the original cast design, the CSF cooler uses a CNC machined billet aluminum plate. This offers a perfectly flat mounting surface which is both stronger and more resistant to warping over time. You’ll also notice a special helix design which adds strength while keeping weight at a minimum.
The O-Ring recesses are CNC milled into the billet for a perfect fit and seal. There is nothing worse than getting your engine put together only to find a minor oil leak at the O-Rings between the block and the oil cooler. You can now confidently install your oil cooler knowing you will not get any leaks from improper O-Ring seating.
OEM+ Look and updates
CSF understands Porsche purists want to keep an OEM look even when upgrading the performance and reliability of their 914s. This was a driving factor behind many of the cosmetic features of the oil cooler. The top of the cooler is stamped with the OE Part Number just below the CSF logo. In addition, the cooler comes in a Titanium color Thermal Heat Dispersion Cerakote finish. This advanced finish is durable, improves heat dissipation, is anti-corrosive, and offers a very classy OEM+ look to the cooler. A modern upgrade over the original.
No details were overlooked in the design of the CSF cooler. The curvature of the case matches the original precisely and includes all the fine details. The spark plug aperture matches up perfectly with the valve cover for a perfect fit. Built into the machined base plate are small but important details such as the raised mounting pads and strengthening ridges.
CSF VS OEM Performance Testing
Extensive testing was done between the CSF Oil Cooler 911/930 Turbo and OEM Oil Cooler. Both coolers share the same design, so the test results would be the same between the two coolers. For these tests, CSF was able to procure a brand new old stock Behr OEM unit. This offered a true benchmark comparison in oil flow, pressure drop, and heat dissipation. Tests were conducted in CSF’s factory wind tunnel under controlled conditions.
The data shows the CSF Oil Cooler outperforming the OEM unit by a substantial margin in Heat Dissipation and Pressure Drop. At equal flow rates the CSF cooler was ~8% more efficient on average at dissipating heat and offered ~6-8% less pressure drop. These results were before applying the Thermal Heat Dispersion Cerakote which further improves the heat dissipation performance.
Premium Packaging
Each cooler is packaged in a premium box with laser cut foam inserts. Therefore you can be confident your oil cooler is protected and secure as it is shipped.
Porsche 914-6 Engine Oil Cooler Features (CSF #8260)
- OEM+ / High-Performance recreation of the original Behr Oil Cooler
- CNC Machined mounting plate with helix design for strength and pocketed for weight savings
- Modern Tube & Fin core with lower pressure drop and higher heat dissipation than the original
- All OEM Behr features replicated on the billet mounting plate and cooler case
- Comes standard with modern Cerakote titanium finish (additional heat dissipation) – modern interpretation of the OEM Behr finish
- Optimized ID and flow characteristics of oil pipe for maximum oil flow through the vehicle’s oil system
- Complete drop-in fit, absolutely no modifications to install
- Each unit is Individually Leak and Pressure Tested
- 10 year warranty
- New OEM coolers from Porsche are extremely scarce/hard to source and cost $1,300+
- CSF #8260 Applications:
- 1970-1972 Porsche 914-6
- 1970-1976 Porsche 914 with Flat-6 conversion/swap
- CSF #8260 OEM Part Numbers:
- Porsche: 901 107 059 03
- Porsche: 901 107 059 01
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$19.99 CAD | $24.99 CAD
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$19.99 CAD | $24.99 CAD
Product title
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$19.99 CAD | $24.99 CAD
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